If you desire to get rid of the clutter in your home, here's an important tip: Stop Adding To Your Stuff!

One of the reasons most of us struggle to get around to dealing with all the stuff we already have, is that we keep adding to it, rather than subtracting from it. We pick up bargains at yard sales and second hand stores, buy more than we need from thrift stores, and get items on sale that look attractive to us. If you’re a homeschooler like me, you’re probably a bookaholic too, and constantly bringing home new finds!

Here’s what I want you to do - make a commitment for a certain period of time (at least 3-6 months, preferably one year) to not buy or acquire ANYTHING except basic essentials, and those only when you truly need them! Half measures won’t do - if you tell yourself you’ll get LESS stuff, then you’ll always find an excuse to get this and that. If you make it a firm NO! then it will be easier to be strong.

And how are you going to get by while you’re not getting more?? Two things -

• You’ll learn to be content with what you have. “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” 1 Timothy 6:6

• You’ll use up or make use of what you already have. There was a saying during the Great Depression:

“Use it up
Wear it out
Make it do or
Do Without”

Imagine actually reading all the books on your shelves. Or using all those wonderful home school materials you’ve collected over the years but not actually used, instead of buying more. Imagine actually looking at all the recipe books you’ve got, and weeding out the ones you don’t need, instead of acquiring more. Think what it will be like to use (or discard) all those patterns, craft ideas and recipes you’ve collected and hoarded. To use the clothing you have to come up with what you need, before looking for new ones. Think of actually playing all the games your family owns, doing the jigsaws, working together on crafts with what you have.

Imagine finally, once and for all, actually dealing with all your stuff and getting rid of all your clutter. It won’t happen until you stop adding to it!

Suggested “Rules”

Here’s what I suggest for the “no adding stuff” period:

• Do not buy or allow into your house any do-dads, knick-knacks or “this would look good in/on my___________” items whatsoever! Make do with what you’ve got in the meantime. Remind yourself the day will come when you house is free of clutter and mostly tidy, and THEN you can get some of those wonderful items you want to make your house look pretty.

• Do not get any more books!! Stay away from second hand book stores and other grounds of temptation. Unsubscribe from the second hand books and curriculum email loops. (Ouch!!) The ONLY exception is purchases of specific, pre-planned curriculum for your home schooled kids or other students that you really need! If you don’t already have plans in place to buy certain items (such as if you are following a specific graded curriculum), then don’t buy anything! Use what you have - come on, I know you have lots of stuff! Get out those unit studies and good books you brought way back and actually use them. If it turns out they aren’t suitable, then sell them! Then, use your library, and free internet resources when you do need extras. But see how much you can actually get done using what you already have on your shelves!!

• For the period of your commitment, you may not cut out any recipes or craft patterns, or collect any papers that “might come in handy one day”. NONE! Until you’ve used, sorted or got rid of all such items you already have stashed, you are not to add to them. Don’t worry, you won’t really miss anything important!!!!

• Avoid garage or yard sales, ebay, sales of any kind, second hand stores and thrift stores! You are NOT in the market for ANY miscellaneous “useful” items of any kind. Be strong!! Only pre-planned purchases for needed items may be made. No extras at all!!

• “Needed” means items pertaining to the basics of life - such as food, clothing and shelter. Plan to buy only the items you REALLY need in these categories, after seeing if you can make do with what you have. Plan to avoid any other spending altogether on “things”. Your bank balance will be much healthier too!!
  

• No purchases of puzzle books etc - use up what you have, or do free crosswords out the newspaper or online. Save your money; reduce clutter!
• When you do need to get something new, make it a rule to immediately get rid of at least one similar item - preferably 2 or 3. So if you buy a new pair of shoes, immediately throw out the old pair, or if you're the type that has many pairs of shoes, select 2-3 pairs you don't really need and let them go.
  

There will be the odd exception to the no acquiring rule that is acceptable - when it's something you've long needed to get or replace to truly make your life better; usually it's an item to replace a damaged or worn out essential piece of home hardware (furniture and equipment). For example, I made an exception for myself recently - I've been looking for a better computer/office desk for 3-4 years, and spotted the perfect one outside a thrift store as I was walking past for only $40. I got them to put it on hold, wrote down the measurements, went home and checked it would fit where I wanted, thought about it overnight and then the next day went and bought it. When I put in the office, I immediately advertised the old desk for sale, and I also identified two more desks from the house that I could get rid of. This new desk perfectly fits what we need, and improves our lives, making things easier in several ways. Considering the bargain price, it would have made no sense to pass up this opportunity because of a "rule" - so do use your common sense. Like all "rules" it's purpose is to improve your life, not make it miserable!

So, how about you? Ready to commit yourself to a "no new stuff" for a period of time? Make a simple poster/contract, fill it in, and post it on the fridge where your family can also see it. Or print my one, and use that. Download HERE.

The fourth week of my 1000 Things Challenge was just that - a challenge! A week full of bad weather, injury and illness, as well as other things going on. I managed to get some decluttering done - focusing on items in my "storage shed" - a place where I keep things like preserving jars, fabric, extra bits and pieces, and which currently has to double as a garden shed as I don't have one. It was good to give it a clean out, and in the process I added 30 items to the give away piles - 2 insulated lunch bags, 1 stacking stationary container, 1 jelly mold, 3 small baskets, 1 pack of scrapbooking supplies, 2 pencil cases, 1 tablecloth, 3 plastic plates, 1 sprinkler, 1 bird house, 6 candles, 1 dynaband, 4 packs of Newspapers in Education resources, 1 pack of ANZAC photos and resources, 1 office chair (not pictured) and 1 roman blind (not pictured).

At the same time, 121 items got added to the for sale items - 1 automatic pet feeder, 1 set of caligraphy gear, 1 box full of caligraphy books and resources, 21 pieces of dinnerware, and 97 homeschool workbooks and answer books - though I strongly suspect the vast majority of those will end up transferred to the give away pile after I've sold what I can.

So that brings the grand total of items eliminated over the last four weeks to 1140!

Yesterday was a day of disappointments. Not earth-shattering things, but just quite a number of them.

Our cat managed to get into a rabbit cage and killed the father of this cute family pictured - he looked much like the mother rabbit on the right. Disappointing for my son, who has started breeding these Netherland Dwarfs. Boo-hoo

A huge window which hadn't been re-secured after it's look-alikes were moved to begin construction of my new glasshouse blew over in the wind, smashing down on a pile of other windows, breaking several. Sigh

I'd JUST got to the really good part of my new book to find 50 pages missing...a printing error. Doh!

The garden has been mocking me with all the jobs I haven't gotten done in the last month or so - especially the harvesting that needs to happen before we get frosts, and the planting that should have happened before it got cold. Sigh

The lady who asked me to hold a desk she wanted to buy from me changed her mind but didn't bother to let me know. Ah well.

During the night there was a huge crash from the kitchen....my darling husband dealt with it....discovered this morning that the glass lid of my favorite casserole dish had been knocked off the dish, which was resting on the stove, by a cat and smashed all over the floor. Took me 3 or 4 years to find that replacement lid in the first place, after the original broke. Sigh. That will teach me to go to bed without doing the dishes, just this once, since we got home at midnight.

And so on. As I said, nothing earth-shattering, but when a day is filled with a procession of these little disappointments, it's easy to become discouraged! And doesn't the enemy like to use these little bumps in life's road to shove a few more darts at our minds and hearts?
"Hah! Why did you even bother getting out of bed this morning?"
"See, nothing ever goes right for you!"
"If God REALLY loved you, this kind of stuff wouldn't happen"
"You're so behind, it's all your fault. And you'll never catch up!"
"You are such a failure! If you'd only.....you could have prevented....."
"And don't forget, you don't have any money to buy another....."
"What's the point? Why keep struggling? Why don't you just give up?"

And suddenly, a few disappointments can become the tipping point that spills over into frustration, anger, blame (towards self and/or God and others), depression, sadness...even suicidal thoughts, especially if it feels like these kinds of things seem to happen all the time....

And yet....
"But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us...." (2 Cor 7:6)

God loves us, and loves to encourage us, and there is no better place to find his words of encouragement that in his Word!

"But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear [sisters], stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." (I Cor 15:55-58)

God never promised there would not be troubles, trials and disappointments in this world - in fact Jesus specifically warned that there would be: "I have told you these things that you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!" (John 16:33)

Therein is the contrast - yep, this world is full of troubles. Things can and will go wrong. But we can take heart from the fact that Jesus has overcome this world - and this world is not all there is! It is but a temporary situation, a temporary dwelling place, until that wonderful day when Jesus comes back, and we get to dwell with him in glory forever!

Romans 8:28-39 is a must read passage if you're in need of encouragement! Here are some highlights...
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.....What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?......Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble, or hardship, or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?.....No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us....nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God!" (Emphasis mine)

God loves you and me sooooo much! Neither the troubles of this world, or the lies of the enemy will ever change that. The Psalms are a great place to find encouragement too. Psalm 10: 17 assures us "You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry."

I thank God that, no matter what each day holds, he loves me, and is with me. There may come disappointments and trials, but he is with me always, and will never leave nor forsake me. None of these things can truly take me down, because even in days filled with disappointments, there are always blessings too, if we have eyes to see them.

Yesterday, our new neighbour was finally able to come and say hi, and we enjoyed some interesting conversation with him. My son was blessed with an extra day's work in town. The baby my daughter cares for here slept well at nap time, and was particularly happy the rest of the day. My husband and I were able to go out for dessert and a movie last night. And then there are the many blessings of a warm fire, food to eat, family and home.

Put in perspective, yesterday's disappointments were really nothing. Or perhaps they were something - an opportunity to practice the right point of view - of seeing life through the eyes of faith and the lens of God's Word, so that when the really difficult trials come along, we already have the right habits and understandings in place to help us through those trials.

"May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word." 2 Thess 2:16-17

And remember, one day soon...
"He will wipe every tear from [our] eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things [will have] passed away" Rev 21:4

Amidst everything else, I only managed to find 6 items to add to the give aways - a video, a DVD, and 4 things from the kitchen drawers which I cleaned out. I actually pulled out each drawer, emptied it, cleaned it, and then put things back better. I even cleaned out the inside of the cabinet where the drawers go - and found a couple of small items I'd been looking for that had fallen down the back of the drawers.

Tomorrow is a whole new day....and His mercies are new every morning!